It's a unique view of how family members react to a calamity and their treatment of each member emphasized by contrasting the dark and inconsiderate nature of humans with the benign and loyal nature of dogs. The story is told from the viewpoint of a dog named Aileen Mavourneen, a self-proclaimed Presbyterian, whose mother is a Collie, and father is a St. Bernard. It begins with her life as a puppy while living with her mother. Eventually, she is taken from her mother to live with a loving family. At first, life for Aileen seems perfect. She lives in a spacious, adorned house with open space where she is free to roam and play with other dogs. All that changes, however, when a fire breaks out in the nursery, prompting Aileen to risk her own life to save her owner’s infant from harm’s way. Despite her heroic deed, Aileen’s motives are misunderstood and she is cruelly beaten and treated with the utmost brutality that changes her life forever. A recommended read that evokes much powerful, heartfelt emotions throughout.

    Something is amiss in the Dear Green Place, however, as the pair land to discover the entire city has become obsessed with a restaurant (which just happens to be owned by the deceased mentor’s only living relative). They beat the crowds to get a table, only to find the fight has just begun and they left their muscle at home. This episode is brought to you by team-writer Mur Lafferty and explores how magic, like food, is rarely cut and dry. A Sorcerer's Apprentice continues the 16-part Serial, Bookburners, presented by Serial Box. From a team of writers, this collaborative effort unfolds an epic urban fantasy narrative across an entire season in weekly installments. Follow along as Sal learns the life changing lesson: some books have teeth.

    Children Of The Dark is a fast-paced supernatural story about 10,000 words long. Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers, an ebook and Sunday Times bestseller and author of the critically acclaimed Dan “Spider’ Shepherd series and the Jack Nightingale supernatural detective novels. You can find out more from his website www.stephenleather.com and Jack Nightingale has his own website at www.jacknightingale.com

    K. Jemisin“Soul’s Bargain” by Juliette Wade“The Halfway House at the Heart of Darkness” by William Browning Spencer“Gold Mountain” by Chris RobersonNON-FICTION“The Issue of Gender in Genre Fiction: Publications from Slush” by Susan E. Connolly“The Issue of Gender in Genre Fiction: The Math Behind the Slush” by Susan E. Connolly“Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance: An Interview with Jeff VanderMeer” by Ben Fry“Another Word: Reclaiming the Tie-In Novel” by James L. Sutter“Editor’s Desk: Adding Some Color” by Neil Clarke

    Daring adventure, captivating romance - and maybe a haggis or two. Gifted Thief Honour Bound Veiled Threat Last Wish Integrity Taylor walked away from the Sidhe when she was a child. Orphaned and bullied, she simply had no reason to stay, especially not when the sins of her father were going to remain on her shoulders. She found a new family - a group of thieves who proved that blood was less important than loyalty and love. But the Sidhe aren't going to let Integrity stay away forever. They need her more than anyone realises - besides, there are prophecies to be fulfilled, people to be saved and hearts to be won over. If anyone can do it, Integrity can.

     Police officer Jean Reed doesn’t normally mind pulling the graveyard shift in Ordinary Oregon, the sleepy little beach town where gods vacation and monsters reside. But October in Ordinary is anything but normal. One mob of cursed gnomes, one haunted harbor festival, and one chilling visit from Death makes this October stranger than most. But it's Jean's boyfriend, Hogan, who really has her flustered. With their six month anniversary ticking down to Halloween, she wonders if their time together is anything more than a casual fling. When she discovers Hogan has been keeping secrets, Jean must decide if their relationship has been nothing but a trick or if it’s been the one treat she’s always wished for. This novella takes place after GODS AND ENDS, but can be read as a stand-alone.

    I mean, like who hasn’t had to battle demons between car pools and play dates?” Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author “[S]hows you what would happen if Buffy got married and kept her past a secret. It’s a hoot.”—Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author The Trouble With Demons contains the first five books in Julie Kenner's Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Series: Carpe Demon California Demon Demons Are Forever Deja Demon Demon Ex Machina Kate Connor is your average, everyday mom with two kids, a husband, and one very big secret … she used to be a Demon Hunter. Now retired, she’s more interested in the domestic than the demonic. So when she catches sight of a demon in Wal-Mart, she tells herself it’s some other Hunter’s problem. But when that demon attacks her in her kitchen, retirement is no longer an option…

    Longbottom, the Nebula Award-winning science-fiction and fantasy author and head writer of Mythic Quest. C.W. found literary fame with Inside the Caves of Beneroth and Tears of the Anaren, but even his most loyal fans don’t know that Tears of the Anaren began as a short story he wrote in the early 1970s while interning at Amazing Tales magazine.This never-before-published draft is now yours to discover, complete with C.W.’s (extremely) colorful commentary and an Introduction and Afterword by Ian Grimm, the iconoclastic creator of Mythic Quest. As sparks fly between heroic scoundrel Zeb and space seductress Merrith, we get a glimpse into the mind of a talented young man yearning for greatness. Like early Mozart, it is raw and green — but also magic.From Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, and Rob McElhenney, the Apple TV+ original comedy series, Mythic Quest, goes behind the scenes to follow the game’s creators. In a workplace focused on building worlds, molding heroes, and creating legends, the most hard-fought battles don’t occur in the game — they happen in the office. Rob McElhenney stars as Ian Grimm alongside Charlotte Nicdao and F. Murray Abraham.

     Gingerbread houses, caroling carolers, brightly trimmed trees, big family dinners, pristine snowfalls-the familiar pleasures of the season. But what better pleasure is there than a good holiday story? So open this winter solstice sampler and indulge in fully festive fantasies, nightmares before Christmas, and stunning space-age celebrations. These stories will warm hearts and minds like a blazing Yule log. Fantastic Holiday Stories by Kevin J. Anderson, Mercedes Lackey, Mike Resnick, Kristine Rusch, Jonathan Maberry, Eric James Stone, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Quincy J. Allen, Ken Scholes, Sam Knight, David Boop, Heather Graham, Brad R. Torgersen, and Patricia Briggs.

    . . . . LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS . . . . . CLUB DEAD . . . . . DEAD TO THE WORLD . . . . . DEAD AS A DOORNAIL . . . . . DEFINITELY DEAD . . . . . ALL TOGETHER DEAD . . . . . FROM DEAD TO WORSE . . . . . DEAD AND GONE . . . . . DEAD IN THE FAMILY . . . . DEAD RECKONING . . . . . DEADLOCKED . . .

    Green, Patricia Briggs, and more. A massive, monumental volume of paranormal crime fiction by bestselling authors. Gripping tales of mayhem include both novellas and short stories like "Stalked by," by Kelley Armstrong, "The Judgment" by worldwide bestselling author Anne Perry, "Appetite for Murder" by Simon R. Green, "Road Dogs" by Norman Partridge, "The Hex Is In" by Mike Resnick, "Doppelgangster" by Laura Resnick, the chilling "If Vanity Doesn't Kill Me" by Michael A. Stackpole, and many, many, more.Compiled and edited by the world's most prolific anthologist-the award-winning Martin H. Greenberg-this is the biggest paranormal crime book on the market and the ultimate collection for ghost hunters and thrill seekers everywhere. Also included are multiple stories by New York Times bestselling authors. The Best Paranormal Crime Stories Ever Told is a new book in the series, which includes The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told and The Best Fishing Stories Ever Told.

    Church and the assassin called Lilith teamed-up to stop a terrible weapon from being used against the innocent.Now that same evil rises again and Joe Ledger teams with Lilith’s daughter, the beautiful killer Violin, to keep the world from falling into darkness. BORROWED POWER is an original Joe Ledger adventure featuring an action cameo by Mr. Church.11,700 words

    Now he is back with an all new novella; 40,000 words of richly imagined fantasy with beautiful world building and intense characterisation. The perfect read for existing fans and new readers alike.A man on a horse, confident in his powers but alone, rides a long and lonely road through rain-soaked woods. But he is on a path that he knows and he is bringing much needed justice with him. Four guards stop him. But not for long.Stephen Donaldson has clearly loved the opportunity to write an all new fantasy and this book is a timely reminder of the power of his writing; writing that inspired a generation of readers and authors alike.

    THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASY. THEY WERE WRONG.A band of thieves set upon two lonely riders in the middle of the night. They had a larger party. They had the element of surprise. There was no reason to be concerned. But they didn’t realize who they were dealing with.NOTE: This was originally published as the first chapter of Theft of Swords, so for those who have that book save your money…you already have this story. It's being provided as a free introduction for new readers of the Riyria books.

    Francis Lee Lemons wakes up in the land of the dead, unemployed and bored. As a criminal in his life in modern America, he figured that the best plan in his afterlife is to stick to what he knows. But getting in with the local crime syndicate—run by an 1800s gunslinger, Alicia—isn’t that easy.Also found in Ellen Datlow's Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy.